It may be getting a late start, compared with streaming services from Amazon and Netflix, but today Google Play Movies TV is adding 4K movies to its content library. Google says there are now over 125 movies in 4K resolution, using VP9, available for purchase via its web or mobile storefront. These can be streamed via a Chromecast Ultra, Sony Bravia Android TV, or Xiaomi Mi Box 3.
The Chromecast Ultra, as you may recall, was announced earlier this fall as the first member of the Chromecast family to support 4K and HDR video streaming. At a $69 price point, it’s an affordable way to get a 4K streamer into your home.
With the launch of 4K support on Google Play Movies TV, Google is sweetening the deal for those in the market for such a device, as it’s offering one 4K movie title for free when you buy a Chromecast Ultra.
Google is not the only late arrival to 4K video. Just this Friday, Hulu announced limited support for 4K shows and movies as well. In its case, only its originals and 20 James Bond films were made available in 4K. Netflix and Amazon Video, by comparison, both launched 4K support back in 2014.
That being said, 4K TV adoption in the U.S. has been fairly slow, so Google’s timing won’t be much of an issue here.
The company also noted today that its Movies TV app, which is now available in 117 countries worldwide, will ship on 2016 model Samsung Smart TVs.
